About the Day

In the heart of Dublin is one of Europe's largest city parks, and for one day every year, a 10k course that challenges runners of all abilities and ambitions.

The day, which includes the Junior & Mini Great Ireland Run, is an opportunity to escape from the roads and pavements and into the grassland and tree-lined curves that the 1,750-acre space has to offer.

Situated to the west of the city centre, the Great Ireland Run is quite literally a great (apologies) and healthy excuse to experience one of the liveliest and most popular cities on the planet in a unique way.

A potential world heritage site in the near future, should the government be successful, the beauty of the course location is also backed up by its credentials as the only race in Ireland to be recognised by the International Association of Athletics (IAAF).

Fast paced club runners and first timers will all converge on the start line, when they can look forward to being led around the The Phoenix Park course by some of the world’s finest athletes.

Last year, Kenenisa Bekele comfortably won in a time of 27:49 and then went onto to a dramatic victory over reigning double-Olympic champion Mo Farah at the Great North Run in Newcastle Gateshead, UK.

Returning after its debut in 2013 will also be the elite men's mile race, the discipline which began as a vehicle for gambling in the 1900s is now the only imperial distance that the IAAF recognise with a world record. It was Irishman, Paul Robinson who fell short of that record, but came home first in 4:14 in the spring.

Don't forget that it’s going to be a family affair on the day too, as our popular Mini & Junior events feature a 1.6k course for 3-8 year olds and a 2.5k stretch for the older, 9-15 year olds.

One of the main attractions on the day, which is also beamed live to the nation on RTE 2, is the All Ireland County Challenge where you can have the chance to race for your home county.